If you read my recent post about my shop… I had some work done and that didn’t turn out so great. However… while that has gotten me down… I’m ready to get going again. Actually I’ve been out there already. And I’m tellin ya… I miss that rush!!!

I’ve started on my first project. I’m making the first of two beds for my boys room. But first… here is whats been up.

Ok… so my shop has been a complete disaster. Everything was a mess. But first things first.. get it cleaned up. And I found the perfect helper! Ok… he ran the shop vac. But at least he wanted to help. LOL

While the shop is not where I want it to be. I was able to get some things done. To start with…When they put the new garage door in the new hardware took up a little more room. So my storage for my rattle cans, finishes, stains and paints wouldn’t fit any longer. While I had everything pulled out I decided to paint the osb to brighten things up a bit. It actually has helped a lot. So… I painted and I took apart the paint storage, trimmed the shelves down and put it all back together. Still works perfectly.

I also decided to get myself a new tool. I’m super excited about this one. I got a new router and router table.

So I got it all together and ready. I did buy the insert plate that’s already drilled out for the router I got. Not sure why. I guess it seemed like a good idea at the time. And… I got a good deal. So I said… what the heck. I wasn’t real excited though when I got it inserted. the screws holding the router in place are not flush. So I’ll still need to do some drilling out. But… in the process… I got a new helper. My daughter. LOL! She spent most of her “helping” taking selfies. She is 15 after all. AND…. at least she was in the shop with me. So I”m ok with that.

So another GREAT thing….. !!!! Guess what I found??? I had this old sewing machine table that I had my old craftsman counter top router table sitting on. It’s been sitting there for quite a while. As I was moving this out of the way something fell out of this little drawer/shelf. In the pic below you can see this “shelf”.

I got this dado blade set a good while ago from a fellow LJer. I could never use them because the arbor on my table saw wouldn’t let me. Back when I got my new table saw one of the first things I tried was the dado set. And it worked!!! After that day… I never could find the dado set again. Lo and behold…. there they were!!!! So glad to have FINALLY found them.

So…. that pretty much brings me up to date. I’m working on the bed. Will post a project when I’m finished with it. I feel out of practice. I guess I just need to work out there more to get back in the swing of things. But I will guarantee you this…. when that dado set fell (Hope it didn’t damage the blades)... I did a dance. LOL

HOWEVER…. one problem…. a visitor came while I was working. This spider was CRAZY BIG!!!! I tried to get my son to kill it. He missed… :(

Needless to say… my shop now smells like peppermint because I put cotton balls with peppermint essential oil all around it.

So… gonna finish up the bed and then get to working on the shop some more. SOOOOOOOO glad to be out there working again!!!

Sorry all my pics are sideways. I was going to try and fix them… but… I’m about to go to bed. So… next time.

I keep telling myself and my wife. “Spiders are the good guys.” They keep all them damn flies away. We try to let them live there lives or move them if they are in the way. She does the same thing now.

It is always good to get back in the shop after some down time. It feels good to reconnect with a hobby that we all here love to do. Not that I am a big fan of spiders, but it feels good to get that adrenaline flowing again. It is great that you have 2 young helpers in the shop with you to help out…It is good quality time spent with Mom!! Nice new additions to your shop with the router table. Keep up the good work and remember to always were safety glasses!! :)

Hi Angie, keep up the good work and I have to say the shop is really taking shape, looking good. Great to see that you have a Kreg Router table. I have one exactly like yours and I love it. Recently I made it into a Cabinet with a door at the front to get to the Router. I did this for two reasons, to catch the wood shavings that would have fallen on to the shop floor and also to muffle the noise a little bit.

Keep posting your progress and enjoy your time in the Shop. Would love to see a project from you soon.Regards,

Good post Angie. I know the feeling of not being able to get into the shop, and it sure does feel good when you can get back in!

I like your boys shirt. .. “Got Dirt?” That’s funny. So is that a commentary on his lifestyle? LOLAnd I thought the young girls were done with doing the “Duckface”? Isn’t that supposed to be “So yesterday!” ?

Congrats on the new tool & Kreg stand. I have a new lathe ordered and it’s scheduled to be here Monday. Not too sure how I’ll make it thru the weekend!

You know, that the vibration of the tools will drive away the snakes and spiders … They just don’t like it at all.The rule at my shop is a minimum of two hours a day working in the shop … No spiders there.Peppermint oil?? never heard of that, but I will try it in the storage shed… spiders and scorpions there.

So here is our very oldest new rule: Work in the shop a bit every day to keep the spiders away.

Welcome back to the land of making saw dust! Congrats on the new tool! Spiders don’t eat much. They are unnerving when they drop down from the ceiling in front of your face, though. Good looking shop helpers!

I like GrumpyMikes way of thinking. Work in the shop a bit every day to keep the spiders away.

It doesn’t really matter what good spiders do or how harmless they are…. I have a fear of them. I know they are there everywhere and so many that I dont’ see. But this guy… I could see. And he was big. And it creeps me out.

The other day when I was cleaning up the yard I found a snake. I would MUCH rather have a snake than spiders. LOL